Members of the Hyatt Regency Saipan family pose next to their tropical Christmas tree on Saturday.
CLOSE to 100 people witnessed Hyatt Regency Saipan’s unveiling of its tropical Christmas tree in the hotel lobby on Saturday.
Designed by local artists Tyler Warwick, Pat Mareham and Albert Emanonipiy, the Christmas tree is made of coconut palms and other local materials, and is among the highlights of Hyatt Regency Saipan’s “Tropical Christmas” celebration as it also marks its 43rd year of “commitment and care for our guests, community and environment [that] has grown with the times.”
The tree’s design is based on traditional Pacific architecture, requiring about 50 coconut fronds put together with other locally sourced materials. The tree does not include electric wires or devices. The coconut fronds were woven into panels built into a traditional coconut thatch.
Warwick and Emanonipiy started from the bottom and built the tree layer by layer, supporting it with Gagu wood or pine tree and young bamboo to make it round.
Holding all the pieces together are approximately 100 yards of rope.
It took Mareham seven days to complete the 25-foot garland and accessories that were wrapped around the tree.
At the bottom of the Christmas tree are coconuts gathered from the Hyatt beach.
